Somery Placenames
Below is a list of some Somerish placenames with their etymological backgrounds if known, with the earliest recorded forms (ERF) of the names, along with their pronunciation if not obvious. The abbreviation E means Estron, OS means Old Somerish. Ackridge 'äkridj LY "the field on the ridge". OS æcer, 'field', OS hrycg, 'ridge'. ERF Aecrige. Arkendale 'a:köndeil MA "valley of oaks". OS acena, gen. of 'oak', OS del, 'valley'. ERF Acendelle. Arradawe 'ärödo: EW "the meadows by the river Arra". E Araf, river Arra, 'the calm one', E dôl, 'meadowland', 'wide valley'. ERF Aradôl. Audwy 'o:dwi SI "where the river Aud ends". Aud, river name, E wyw, 'ending'. ERF Awdwyw. Averbrawe 'eivöbro: WI "the lowland region where people gather". E aethfed, 'gather', E bro, 'lowland', 'region'. ERF Aethfedbro. Bramleigh 'brämli BR "the open land where bramble grows". OS bremel, 'bramble', OS leah, 'open land'. ERF Bremleah. Bray WI "on the hillside". E brae, 'hillside'. ERF Brae. Bridglea 'bridjli UA "the bridge in the open land". OS brycg, 'bridge', OS leah, 'open land', 'clearing'. ERF Brygeleah. Brynglas 'briŋglas WI "the blue hill". E bryn, 'hill', E glas, 'blue'. ERF Brynglas. Calvern 'ko:lvörn LY "the hill with hazels". E collen, 'hazel', E bryn, 'hill'. ERF Collfyrn. Campton 'kämtön CA "the homestead on the ridge". OS camb, 'ridge', 'comb', OS tun, 'homestead'. ERF Cambtune. Colme koum SI "stone circle". E cylch, 'circle', E maen, 'stone'. ERF Cylhmen. Cornant 'ko:nönt CO "the chanting river". E côri, 'chant', 'sing', E nant, 'river'. ERF Corynant. Covelant 'kavölönt WI "the bend of the river". E cyfel, 'bend', E nant, 'river'. ERF Cyfelnant. Coverbyn 'kavöbin SI "opposite to the Isle of Milne". E cyferbyn, 'opposite to', E Melyn, Isle of Milne. ERF Cyferbynmelyn. Curwich 'karidj SY "the town by the riverbend". OS curban, 'bend'. OS wic, 'town'. ERF Curbewic. Dawvellis do'velis FO "the temple of Dawf". Dawf, Estron personal name, E eglwys, 'temple' ERF Dawfeglwys. Daylowe 'deilou SI "the two lions". E deu, 'two', E lew, 'lion'. ERF Deullew. Derlin 'derölin WS (previously spelt Derrellin "the oak grove". E derw, 'oak', E lwyn, 'grove'. ERF Derwlwyn. Douglan 'duglön MA "the south shore". E dogleth, 'south', E glan, 'shore'. ERF Doglethlan. Duffrin 'dafrin MO "the valley". E dyffryn, 'valley'. ERF Dyffryn. Estwith 'estwiþ MO "rivermouth". E ystwyth, 'river mouth'. ERF Ystwyth Ewst ju:st EW "settlement on the river Ewe". E Ewyn, river Ewe, 'the frothy one', OS sæti, 'settlement'. ERF Ewnsete. Gangle LY "the river by the hazel". E gan, by', E cyll, 'hazel trees'. ERF Ganghyll. Hillwy 'hilwi FO "where the river Hiddle ends". E Hidl, river Hiddle, 'rich in water', E wyw, 'ending'. ERF Hidlwyw. Lynnest 'linist LY "the settlement around the river Lynne". OS Hlynne, river Lynne, 'the noisy one', OS sæti, 'settlement'. ERF Lynnesete. Malgary 'mo:lgöri FO "the peninsula of seals". E. morlo, 'seal', E. gorynys, 'peninsula'. ERF Morlogoryn. Marstwith 'ma:stwiþ MA "mouth of the river Mar". Mar, river name, E ystwyth, 'river mouth'. ERF Maraestwyth. Marthen 'marðön MA "homestead of the thane of Mar". Mar, old thanage ('lathe') in western Somery, OS thegn, 'thane', OS ham, 'homestead'. ERF Marthegnahame. Meaham 'mi:öm EW "the homestead with horses". OS mearh, 'horse', OS ham, 'homestead'. ERF Mearahame. Melster ME "the fortified town with the mill". OS myln, 'mill', OS ceastre, 'fortified town'. ERF Mylnceastre. Milltree MO "the mill by the tree". OS myln, 'mill', OS treow, 'tree'. ERF Milntrewe. Noss WI "by the dashing waters?". OS cnossan, 'dash'. ERF Knoss. Omma OM "the misty (river)". OS omma, 'mist'. ERF Omma Prydwirth 'pridwö:þ ER "beautiful place". E prydferth, 'beautiful', E le, 'place'. ERF Pridwerthe. Shaurnsea 'sho:nsi: LY "where the wind whispers". E siôre, 'rush of wind', E yn si, 'whispers', pres. tense of si. ERF Siorynsi. Sherminny shö'mini FO "the town by the hill". E tre, 'town', E ar, 'by', E mynnyth, 'hill'. ERF Trearmynny. Shird shö:d ME "ford on the river Shawe". E Siôin, river Shawe, 'the murmuring one', E ryd, 'ford'. ERF Sioryd. Shirdover shö'douvö OM "land of water". E tir, 'land', E dwfr, 'water'. ERF Tirdwfre. Stambeigh 'stämbi WS "stone circle". OS stan, 'stone', OS beag, 'ring', 'circle'. ERF Stanbeagh. Sumpton Hill SY "hill of the summer town". OS sumor, 'summer', OS tun, 'town', OS hyll, 'hill'. ERF Sumortunehyll. Sweighmond 'sweimön SU "the heavenly guarded". OS swegl, 'heaven, sky', OS mund, 'hand, guard'. ERF Sweglmund Tostrith 'tostriþ WS "the mouth of the river Tor". E Twrw, river Tor, 'the noisy one', E ystwyth, 'river mouth'. ERF Torstwyth. Towen 'tauön WI "on the seashore". E tywyn, 'seashore'. ERF Tywyn. Towndon 'taundön LY "the farmstead under the hill". OS tun, 'farmstead', OS under, 'under', OS dun, 'hill'. ERF Tunadun Troswy 'troswi LY "the end of the river Trost". E Trwst, river Trost, 'the noisy one', E wyw 'ending'. ERF Trwstwy. Tueswy 'tju:swi SI "the end of river Tue". E Tiwd, river Tue, 'the sandy one', E wyw, 'ending'. ERF Tiwswy. Tulldover (Bay) tal'douvö LY "the calm water". E tawel, 'calm', E dwfr, 'water'. ERF Tawldwfre. Twillingham MA "the town of the people by the river Toyle". E Tywyll, river Toyle, 'the dark one', OS ingas, 'people of', OS ham, 'town', 'homestead'. ERF Toilingahame. Washford 'woshföd WA "the ford on the river Wash". OS Wosce, river Wash, OS ford, 'ford'. ERF Wasceford. Wednesbury 'wensbri WI "the fort on the river Weden". OS Weden, river Weden, 'the blue one', OS burh, 'fort'. ERF Wednesburg. Winster WI "the fortified town on the river Weden". OS Weden, river Weden, 'the blue one', OS ceastre, 'fortified town' ERF Wedenceastre. Yeath ji:þ MO "rivers meeting". OS ea, 'river', OS gædrian, 'get together'. ERF Eagaedh.